Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body.
However, the growing popularity of collagen supplements, also known as collagen peptides, may have you wondering if you need more of this protein than your body can produce on its own.
Before opening your money and putting your health on the line, as with any supplement, it’s necessary to ask a few things.
What exactly is collagen?
powdered collagen is a structural protein, which means it is a vital component of the connective tissue that keeps your skin, bones, muscles, ligaments, and other tissues together. Collagen’s fiber-like structure provides these vital structures with not only strength but also the capacity to tolerate stretching.
This is why bones are strong but can withstand some force, and why skin has flexibility while remaining stiff.
The body creates collagen, like all proteins, by connecting together molecules known as amino acids. Some of these amino acids are produced by the body. Others are derived from protein-rich foods in your diet. Vitamin C is also required for collagen to link the fibres together.
Unfortunately, collagen production naturally declines with age, contributing to the ageing signs that many of us want to avoid, such as wrinkles.
collagen supplementation peptides to the rescue…
(By the way, age isn’t the only factor that influences collagen production. But I’ll get to that later.)
What exactly are collagen peptides?
Early collagen supplements were essentially collagen-containing topical lotions sold to replenish lost collagen and help prevent skin ageing.
However, because collagen is a fairly large molecule, experts criticised these products. Something this large is unlikely to be absorbed by the skin or travel deep into the skin layers where it is required.
Current
collagen supplement circumvent this problem by hydrolyzing collagen into collagen peptides, which are much smaller strings of the amino acids that comprise collagen. These shorter strands are more easily absorbed and can be converted into powders or pills for oral administration.
Collagen peptide manufacturers would have you think that these supplements improve everything from wrinkles and joint pain to gut health and mood. And the celebrities who promote these products have flawless skin, hair, bodies, and smiles to back it up.
However, you are correct in questioning whether the fountain of youth is as simple as mixing some (expensive) powder into your morning coffee.
Do collagen peptides have any effect?
The two most frequently mentioned advantages of collagen peptides are enhanced skin health and decreased joint pain. However, these supplements are also marketed as aiding digestion and heart health, preventing bone loss, and increasing muscle mass.
Unfortunately, according to experts, the research supporting all of these claims is limited.
Collagen peptides have been proven in studies to be absorbed by the GI tract. They’ve also demonstrated that amino acid levels rise as a result, demonstrating that the peptides are broken down and added to the accessible amino acid pool.
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